A while back we showed you high quality pics of T-Mobile’s newest Android device, the Motorola Cliq with MotoBlur. This being Motorola’s first Android device, I have to admit that I really enjoyed it. T-Mobile has a nicely done advertisement for the Cliq (with a nice tune as well). Check out the video and hopefully T-Mobile will actually advertise this MotoBlur powered Moto, whether it be websites, TV ads, etc. If you’re still contemplating whether or not you want the Cliq, maybe some reviews will help decide? Remember existing customers can pre-order and receive their Cliq no later than November 2nd, but new customers have to wait until the November 2nd release date. Feel free to express your thoughts/opinions in the comments!

I’ve had my Cliq for all of four hours and I have to say, it’s a fabulous phone. I used to be a Blackberry girl, but the browser experience on the Cliq blows Blackberrys out of the water. And having the social networking stuff so easily accessible is fantastic. So glad I switched!

kris

Ok, so I have a cliq and my friend has a blackberry. I have a “code” from the blackberry but where do I put it so I can send and receive to and from the blackberry ?

BPRhythm

Loving my cliq so far. But the battery life definitely needs improvement. Otherwise its so good. Definitely better than the sidekick I had. Microsoft won’t delete my data this time!

Max

Won’t be getting it.The screen is too small.Why all the good android handsets going to Verizon .Step ut Tmo!

la candela

Is it better than a 9700 BB or a N900 nokia. Plz info

FILA

eh, wait for that damn G1v2 like Im telling you guys. You wont be disappointed, and it’ll be worth the wait atleast 2-3 more months!

icecreampaintjob

I’ve had mine for about 4 days and love it! Fingers crossed for android updates, ota or no.

Kickstar13

@la candela
Its personal preference.

http://www.bangboomcrash.com Stefan

@FILA

Do you have any info on the G1v2? I’m looking to jump to the EM+ soon and my wife wants a Cliq and I’m leaning towards a MyTouch. Like literally, probably in a week or 2. So if I can see some creditable info, i’ll wait.

Anthony

I’ve been using the Cliq for 4 days now and love it! The keyboard will take a little bit to get your fingers adjusted to where the keys will be, but after a few days you’ll be fine! Battery life does drain quickly, but hasn’t been a huge issue yet. =) The HTC HD 2 looks awesome!! But it doesn’t come out until rumored first quarter of 2010 and the N900 hasn’t been issued to tmobile yet…. but hopefully we do get it! Otherwise you can buy it unlocked for a pretty penny, but the phone is pretty so why not if you have the money to fork out haha

timmyjoe42

Couldn’t they use a phone that wasn’t animated, or at least looked real?

http://trancemist.com/ TranceMist

The device itself looks good from a hardware perspective.

However, after reading an in-depth review at The Register I now see how Motorola managed to screw this one up.

MotoBLUR is a proprietary software stack on top of Android. MotoBLUR is NOT open source. Aside from limiting its future expandability, this will prevent you from getting Android updates in any timely fashion. The CLIQ ships with Cupcake (1.5), if you want Donut (1.6) then Motrolola and T-Mobile will have to integrate and test it before it can be released. So you’ll always be way behind normal Android phones on software releases. It is also possible that they may just decide never to update the software.

Also, all of the updates for those social services have to go through Motorola’s servers first, another major vendor-dependent bottleneck.

Also, according to that review article, the touch screen is very poorly implemented.

While I really like many of the hardware features (hardware keyboard, real audio jack), it seems that Motorola has done enough to screw this phone up in the software that I’m going to stay away from it.

missgadgetqueen

I love my Cliq too. Occassionally the touch screen is not responsive but it doesn’t last for long. I have noticed that with using Locale and having my default set to low settings when I’m not at home or close to a plug does extend the battery. I’m only charging once a day. I can’t seem to put the dang thing down. Almost went to sleep with it in my hands.

But not getting the android updates is a MAJOR screw up on Motorolla’s part. If they take too long with these updates and we get too far behind, I’ll be getting the G2. I like my android updates. It’s like getting a new phone a couple times a year. Motorolla missed the boat on the whole OPEN SOURCE thing. That’s why we went to Android in the 1st place HELLO!!!! It’s just a matter of time before someone figures out a copy of the social aspect of the cliq without hindering the Android update process.

Beastly

The myTouch *is* the G2. Why T-Mobile chose that unfortunate name instead of just calling it the G2 is beyond me. Anything you’re reading online about a G2 probably has to do with the myTouch at this point.

Will there be another HTC Android device and will it have better hardware than existing devices? Almost certainly.

Will it be anytime soon? No. The only comparable phone you will see over the next few months is the Behold II. My best guess is that if you wait for T-Mobile’s next G-phone, you’ll wait at least until Spring.

Personally, I’m happy enough with Android 1.5, Motoblur, and the awesome hardware on the Cliq that I think I’m going to make it my next phone, even supposing OTA Android updates never arrive.

userfriendlyme

lol reading some of the comments. The cliq is a good phone im rather impressed and i dont think many of us care that the logins are going through a server I mean sidekick does it google does it so why not motorola and the end result is very vey fast streaming of your information. I think this phone like every android so far will be rooted edventually so the lack or slow updates may not even be and issue for those of us that are rooting fanatics. The keyboard like another reader said takes some time to get used to simply becasue most of us are used to G1′s.the G1v2 has been rumored around for some time i doubt it will drop before the holiday but hell maybe tmobile will surprise us. Also this will not be the only moto phone with blur so i doubt highly that the updates are going to drag like some are predicting. plus to me moto blur on top of android doughnut would be well worth the wait if you ask me.

pla

I can’t believe the negative reviews. I almost didn’t buy it because of them, but decided to go for it anyway. I’ve had this since Friday and can’t really imagine a better experience. Battery issues only when running wifi and GPS both and listening to lastFM or watching nonstop youtube – and re-charges very quickly.

Extremely fast — I have yet to see one instance of the reported “lag” — Fast easy to use keyboard, bright, clear screen, easy google voice integration, play favorite NES games with nesoid. I am sure software updates will come and that’ll just make this great for years to come. Add to that my wife and I now have unlimited calling, 400 sms each, and unlimited data for $140 total plus taxes and fees. Can’t really beat that.

Only thing I can imagine upgrading for is the same phone with a slightly larger screen.

WXman

Does the Cliq screen let you use a fingernail or stylus? My wife uses her nails…it works good on the Behold but on my G1 she can’t get used to having to touch with the pad of your finger.

Miguel

I wish TMOnews would clarify that the Cliq is only available for pre-order to existing customers AS AN UPGRADE. It is not available to existing customers who wish to add a line to their account. T-Mobile treats new lines as new customers.

So if you have a been a customer of T-Mobile for a a long time, and you want to get the Cliq for your significant other by adding a line on your account, your out-of-luck until Nov 2.

Ritchie

That sucks, im still waiting for my track number for my Cliq

Wicked1

Hahaha, I know, this guy doesn’t realize the MyTouch IS the G2, hahaha. Moto having the Cliq locked down because of Motoblur is a concern. But they can’t just not update it, it is an Android device. And I really think its in our, the customers hands, if Moto takes too long with OTA updates. The Cliq users have to bombard T Mobile and Motorola with calls and emails about it, consistently. That would get them going and get the OTAs out to the Cliq. If the Cliq gets 2.0 when the Droid is released, like some are saying, then I won’t be so bothered that it was only shipped with 1.5.

Amber

you know, i’ve had my cliq for about a week now and I’m about to give it away and go back to my old G1. I hate that it doesn’t use the miniUSB universal port for it’s charger outlet. I don’t like the “slide to answer” iphone copycat approach they took. The scroll is too sensitive; when you touch a contact name when you are scrollig down it starts callign them right away. there is no “end call” button as on the G1, just an onscreen button that seems unresponsive when you are hastily trying to end a mistakenly touched call. I”m having trouble getting the visual voicemail set up, not a problem with the phone, but with my service apparently. the only thing I do like about it is the 3.5mm headphone jack, but i’m going to be shelling out another $50 for a new microsdHC card that can hold all my music. wallpapers need to be set in landscape orientation because the cliq stretches the image out over all 5 panels. otherwise, it’s a great phone. i just don’t see much improvement over the G1 and it is taking me more “getting used to” that I expected. i miss he G1′s trackball for browser scrolling without opening the keyboard.

Ritchie

Just got my track number and will get it on thurs.

Wicked1

My original Delivery Date was Thursday, but I just checked UPS and it has been updated to Wednesday. Yes!

Amber

oh and I forgot to add that even though it will let you use a song as the alarm tone, it has to be in MP3 format. the cliq doesn’t recognize .wma files, so i’ll have to download a converter program. Turning out to be a lot of work for somethign that I was really hyped about before the release.

todd

that is the best add I have seen T-mobile done.
Anybody notice that there is usually nobody talking throughout their advertisements? Maybe it’s just me and the ones I’ve seen.

Day

I don’t know if anyone noticed in the Cliq promo but it showed some apps that are not available (to the best of my knowledge) on Android yet. At a glance, the apps that I recognized were Slacker, IHeartRadio, Viigo & Ticketmaster and also they repeated some apps over again such the T-mobile myaccount, Flame, Mytracks, Tmobile AppPack, & Myfaves. For one, I would like to see Slacker on Android and especially with the same features as featured on Blackberry phones such as the ability to cache stations and listen to them without the need of data connection or reception and also IHeartRadio in order to listen to some radio shows on my phone. However, it is kind of a disappointment to see a promo pointing out all the good features of Android and yet it had to rely on using apps only available (for now) on Blackberry and the Iphone. Does anyone agree?

greyfoxzero

OMG its got the same crappy processor the other android phones have. Seriously unless you want a phone that will be outdated almost out of the box wait for an android phone with a real processor, not that crappy ancient qualcomm crap.

Ron B

I have been using my Cliq for about a week now and I love the phone. Grant it the screen could be bigger, but it serves the purpose and keeps the size where it still functions as a cell phone like it’s suppose to.

I sometimes wonder if we have all forgot that these are CELL PHONES and NOT laptop computers, radios or jukeboxes. I am 53 and have seen the evolution of the cell phone and think we have come a hell of a long way from the first compact model I owned many moons ago.

I have had the IPhone, Blackberrys, G1 and the Mytouch G2 and this phone is not a Iphone killer by any means but it is the best android phone I have used so far. I like the social networking that MOTOBLUR offers and I have no problem with the android updates being a little behind.

Hell, I put up with apple and ITunes for two years and went thru a phase when after doing a Iphone update, my SMS text quit working and the phone was dropping every other call but they fixed the problem just like T-Mobile will do for this phone.

The battery life could be better but at least you can change the battery and they probaly alreay have an extended one available for the thing as we speak. I have always hated the fact that my Iphone had a built in battery and could not be updated to a higher current one.

I hope this review is helpfull and for those of you who live by reading these reviews, I say you should touch it, feel it and play with it and make your decision based on that and go with your gut. I only use these as a guide and I always consider the source of the review. Thanks

About PhoneDog

PhoneDog is one of the largest and most popular interactive mobile news and reviews resource that attracts a community of more than 2.5 million unique visitors each month. The site may have a "cute" name, but it offers up serious editorial content and video reviews that users rely on to make important decisions about their next mobile purchases.